Give your team something to look forward to with five days of games, appreciation, and a little friendly competition!

The International Week of Happiness at Work takes place annually, with dates that vary from year to year. Check the official event website for the current year’s dates. It’s a chance to spend time together and explore what makes work feel better and happier for your team.

These five Week of Happiness at Work ideas give you one activity for each day. Keep participation optional, make room during working hours, and invite remote teammates to join the fun!

Monday: Start with a Would You Rather showdown 💬

Time: 10 minutes | Best for: Getting everyone talking

Ease into the week with a few choices that deserve far more debate than they should.

Would you rather have a personal snack robot or a desk that transforms into a hammock? Suddenly, everyone has a compelling argument!

Try these questions:

  1. Would you rather Have an office overlooking the ocean or Have an office hidden inside a treehouse
  2. Would you rather Have a personal theme song or Have a dramatic slow-motion entrance
  3. Would you rather Get advice from your future self or Give advice to your past self
  4. Would you rather Have unlimited concert tickets or Have unlimited restaurant meals
  5. Would you rather Work alongside a very helpful dragon or Work alongside five slightly chaotic penguins

Everyone picks a side, and then the conversation starts!

Make it work for your team: Play together during a meeting or play async for more distributed teams.

WYR Reveal

Tuesday: Send an unexpected thank-you 💛

Time: 10 minutes | Best for: Employee appreciation

Think about someone who made your workday easier recently. Maybe they explained something without making you feel silly, spotted a missing detail, or jumped in when things got busy.

Today’s activity: tell them!

Invite everyone to send a short, thank-you to a colleague. Give them a starting point:

“You made my day easier when you ___. It helped because ___.”

Messages can go in your Slack or Teams, on a handwritten note, or directly to the person. Let people choose whether they’d enjoy a public shout-out or a private message.

Try this: Look beyond your usual circle. The colleague from another department who always answers your questions might have no idea how much you appreciate it!

Thank you Reveal

Wednesday: Play “Whose Desk Is This?” 🔍

Time: 15 minutes | Best for: A midweek mystery

That collection of tiny frogs belongs to someone... your team’s job is to figure out who!

Ask volunteers to send the host a close-up photo of one object from their workspace: a mug, a plant, a desk toy, or a mouse pad!

Show the photos one at a time and have everyone guess the owner. After each reveal, give the person a moment to explain their pick.

Keep names and identifying details out of the frame, and check that screens or documents aren’t visible.

Make it work for your team: Anyone without a desk can submit an everyday object they’re happy to share! CrowdParty's custom trivia tool is an ideal way to make this game come to life!

Office Trivia Reveal

Thursday: Create a scavenger hunt! 🔎

Time: 15 minutes | Best for: A little spontaneous chaos

Your team has 60 seconds to find something that could pass for an award. Go!

Call out one prompt at a time and have everyone bring back an object or share a photo. Try:

  • Something that belongs in a museum
  • The least useful thing within reach
  • Something you’d bring to a deserted island
  • An object that perfectly represents your week
  • Something that looks like it has a secret

After each round, invite a few people to explain their finds. A stapler becomes much more interesting when someone insists it belongs in a spy movie!

Host tip: CrowdParty's Scavenger Hunt feature makes this activity low effort and brings the fun for this adventurous Thursday!

Scavenger Hunt Reveal

Friday: Draw your way into the weekend 🎨

Time: 15–20 minutes | Best for: Creative teamwork and questionable artwork

Can your team draw a spaceship well enough for someone else to guess it?

In With-Draw, players are automatically assigned to teams to draw a prompt while other players guess what their artwork represents. Expect wildly different interpretations and a few very confident wrong answers!

Try prompts like:

  • Spaceship
  • Roller coaster
  • Pirate ship
  • Treehouse

Keep rounds short and embrace the wonky drawings. That flying potato might be your team’s best attempt at a spaceship!

Host tip: Artistic talent is completely optional. Celebrate the creative attempts as much as the correct guesses.

Try With-Draw with your team!

With-Draw Reveal

Bring more happiness to your workweek 🎉

Small moments give your team something to smile about together! Keep the fun going beyond the Week of Happiness at Work with CrowdParty. Explore games for remote, hybrid, and in-office teams, and make your favourites part of your next team break.

Bring your team together with CrowdParty!

Quick answers for busy planners 💬

How do I celebrate the Week of Happiness at Work?

Plan activities that give teammates space to connect, have fun, and feel appreciated. Try a mix of games, thank-you messages, and opportunities to share interests. Ask your team what they’d enjoy before finalizing the schedule.

Can remote and hybrid teams join these activities?

Yes! Use your team chat for questions and thank-yous, share photos digitally, and host presentations or trivia on a video call. For hybrid sessions, make sure remote colleagues can see the content and hear everyone speaking.

How do I keep the momentum going after the week ends?

Repeat your team’s favourite activity and ask what would improve their everyday work experience. Follow up on that feedback with a concrete action, whether it’s clarifying a process or addressing a recurring frustration.

Ready to play? 🎉

Bring the smiles and joy this year to International Week of Happiness at Work!

Find your next team game on CrowdParty!